Unit1: The Living World

Question 1

Define biodiversity with 2 examples.

Answer 1

• Variety and variability of life on Earth.
• Example1: Species- Blue Whale, Hammerhead Shark
• Example2: Ecosystem- Tropical rainforest, Decidious forest

Question 2

Why is there a need to standardise the name of living organisms ?

Answer 2

Standardized names prevent confusion and miscommunication caused by regional names for living organisms.

Question 3

Define Nomenclature and state the rules for Binomial Nomenclaure.

Answer 3

Nomenclature: It is the process of naming identified species

Question 4

What is ICBN and ICZN ?

Answer 4

• ICBN: International Code for Botanical Nomenclature
• ICZN: International Code for Zoological Nomenclature
• It is the set of rules that provides a standardized system of naming plants and animals based on agreed principles and criterion.

Question 5

Who was Carlous Linneaus?

Answer 5

He developed the binomial nomenclature system. Magnifera indica was first described by him and he also published a book called Systema Naturae.

Question 6

What is classification and why is it required?

Answer 6

It is the process by which living orgnisms are grouped into categories based on some easily observable characters. This is done to make studying living organisms less complcated.

Question 7

Define

Taxa

Answer 7

The scientific term for any taxonomic category in the hierarchical classification of organisms
is taxa.

Question 8

Define

Taxonomy

also list the factors for division

Answer 8

This is the science of classifying organisms into categories based on their shared characteristics.
Factors for division:
1. Morphology
2. Anatomy
3. Embryology
4. Cytology

Question 9

Define

Systematics

Answer 9

The study of biological diversity and the evolutionary relationships between organisms which belong to different categories.

Question 10

Define

Taxonomic Hierarchy and Taxonomic Categories

Answer 10

• Refers to the rankeing system used to classify organisms
• Represent the individual levels within the taxonomic hierarchy

Question 11

Define

Kingdom

Answer 11

• The highest taxonomic rank
• Most broad and least specific taxonomic rank
• There are five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Question 12

Define

Phylum/Division

Answer 12

Phylum is a taxonomic rank lower than kingdom and higher than class

Question 13

Define

Class

Answer 13

• Class is a taxonomic rank lower than phylum and higher than order

Question 14

Define

Order

Answer 14

Order is a taxonomic rank lower than class and higher than family

Question 15

Define

Family

Answer 15

Famliy is a taxonomic rank lower than order and higher than genus

Question 16

Define

Genus

Answer 16

• Genus is a taxonomic rank lower than family and higher than species
• A group of closely related species that share a common ancestor

Example: the Homo genus within the Hominidae family includes humans and

Question 17

Define

Species

Answer 17

• The lowest taxonomic rank
• Least broad and most specific taxonomic rank
• A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Example: Homo sapiens is the species that includes all modern humans

Question 18

State the difference between

Taxonomy and Systematics

Answer 18

• Naming unknown organisms and categorizing them through standardized systems
• Involves organizing organisms according a hierarchical classification system
• Investigates evolutionary history b/w organisms
• developes methods to classify organisms based on their evolutionary relations.

Question 19

Write the taxonomy of a human

Answer 19

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Sapiens